Asustek

Google, Asus to hook up on 7-inch Android tablet, says report

Yet another report is claiming an imminent 7-inch Google tablet. And add Asus to the mix as that company will make and co-brand the device.

Google and Asus will unveil a 7-inch co-branded tablet PC as early as May, said DigiTimes in a report dated March 9.

NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim told CNET last month that the tablet will have a 1280x800 resolution 7-inch display and production is slated for April. The initial production run is between 1.5 million to 2 million units, Shim said.

And another report earlier this month said at least one model will retail … Read more

Is Apple putting the arm on ultrabook contract manufacturers?

The Asus Zenbook looks enough like the MacBook Air that Apple is pressuring a contract manufacturer to cease production of the Zenbook, an Asia-based report claims.

Taipei-based Pegatron, an original equipment manufacturer, will not make the Zenbook for Asus due to pressure from Apple, according to a report in the Chinese-language Commercial Times.

Asus did not respond to a request for comment.

The report couches Apple's demand as a choice: either stop making the Zenbook or lose Apple as a customer. Pegatron has been assembling iPhones since last year and would prefer to keep that business, according to the … Read more

Report: Tablet vendors to cut prices to trim inventory

Non-iPad tablet vendors may start cutting prices in September in an attempt to reduce their overstock inventory, according to a story today from DigiTimes.

Hurt by the popularity of the iPad, rival tablet makers have witnessed sales weaker than expected amid falling demand from retailers, resulting in a lot of unsold inventory. As a result, these companies will cut tablet prices once around the end of next month and again toward the holiday season, according to the DigiTimes report, citing "sources from notebook players."

The cuts could shrink the price of the average tablet to $350 and then … Read more

Rumor: iPad 3 could launch by Thanksgiving

Rumors about the iPad 3 are ramping up again, with one report claiming the next version of Apple's tablet could launch as early as Thanksgiving.

A story in yesterday's Taiwan Economic News cited industry executives as saying they estimate Apple will release the iPad 3 "by this Thanksgiving or next year."

Whether its next tablet reaches consumers by this year's holiday season, Apple is expected to sell the iPad 3 at current prices and then discount the iPad 2 to clear out inventory, said the sources.

Calling the iPad 3 a "threat" to … Read more

Asus debuting family of thin, light laptops

Asus is the latest PC maker to hit the market with its own line of thin, light laptops.

The Taiwanese company revealed its new family of notebooks at a news conference in Taipei on Monday. The ASUS UnLimited, or UL, laptops measure less than 24.5 millimeters (one inch) thick and weigh anywhere from 3.3 to 4.6 pounds, depending on the model.

Asus boasts that the laptops can deliver up to 12 hours of life on a single battery charge. Users can switch video mode from the dedicated NVIDIA graphics card to the integrated graphics to save battery … Read more

Asus plans Eee-book reader, report says

Get ready for an Eee-book reader. Word came Thursday of Asustek's plans to enter the hopping e-book market with an e-reader marketed under its popular Eee brand.

Company president Jerry Shen said Asustek plans to launch its reader by the end of 2009 at the earliest, according to Taiwanese publication DigiTimes, which notes that another Netbook maker, MSI, is also looking into the e-book reader market.

Asustek practically invented the Netbook market with its original 7-inch Eee PC, an inexpensive ultraportable laptop that debuted to huge media attention in 2007. Since then, the Eee label has appeared on larger … Read more

Eee PC to get touch-screen treatment in 2009

Because of their small size and inexpensive nature, Netbooks are hot items right now. Asus' Eee PC is one of the more recognizable lines available.

Users have wanted a touch-screen version of their favorite tiny laptops, and it's been rumored for a while that future Eee PCs would implement them. But it wasn't until Thursday that the general manager of the Eee PC line for Asus confirmed that they are coming--next year.

Samson Hu, the general manager, also remarked that future models would get dual-core Atom processors once they come out, and that a new lower-cost model is … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 689: Mousetronauts

Please, someone, make a Mousetronauts show. We're begging you. In other news, cell phones on airplanes appear to be coming to European airspace near you. Comcast and Time Warner are lining up behind WiMax, and South Park is coming online -- for free! Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 689

Approval for mobiles on aircraft http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7314362.stm

TiVo's take: It's a Comcast mistake http://cultureofownership.org/?p=24

Comcast and Time Warner to bankroll WiMax joint venture http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9903411-7.html

Motorola to split into two, … Read more

Photos: Easy does it with Asustek's 'Eee PC'

Amid all the talk of One Laptop Per Child and whether its machines will turn commercial after being first offered to developing nations for use by schoolchildren, it looks like Asustek and Intel are going straight to the head of the class. They've just announced a new teeny, affordable PC that's stripped-down but still pretty versatile. We've got pictures for you! With a full-size grown-up's keyboard and price tag around $200, the machine just might cause a market disturbance. Click on the image for more.